Little 15

Last updated

"Little 15"
DepecheModeLittle15.jpg
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Music for the Masses
B-side
Released16 May 1988 (1988-05-16)
RecordedFebruary–July 1987
Studio
Length4:15
Label Mute
Songwriter(s) Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
  • Depeche Mode
  • David Bascombe
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Behind the Wheel"
(1987)
"Little 15"
(1988)
"Everything Counts (live)"
(1989)
Music video
"Little 15" on YouTube

"Little 15" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 16 May 1988 as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). [1] The song was never intended to be a single; in fact, it barely made it onto the album, but a French record label wanted to release the song as a single, which became a popular import and reached number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. [2]

Contents

Release

The song's title, as well as its status as a minor release, contributed to its special catalog number "LITTLE15". In this vein, it can be seen as a "little" release between BONG15 ("Behind the Wheel") and BONG16 ("Everything Counts [Live]"). "Little 15" didn't chart in France, but finally was also released as a single in other countries becoming a success: in West Germany, where it hit #16, in Austria where it reached #25 and in Switzerland where it entered the Top 20 at #18. [3]

There was no remix of the song at the time of release (the 12" and 7" versions were the same); however, there are two piano instrumental B-sides, both performed by Alan Wilder. The first is "Stjärna" (Swedish for 'star'; mislabelled "St. Jarna"), written by Martin Gore. The 12" B-side also contains a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata #14". According to his website, Wilder did not intend for it to be a B-side, as he was merely performing it for fun, but Gore stealthily recorded it. Wilder did not perform the piece perfectly (his error occurs near the end of the song). [4]

The music video for "Little 15" was directed by Martyn Atkins, who had done previous design work for the band. [5] The music video was filmed in the Trellick Tower in London.[ citation needed ]

Reception

In a positive review for AllMusic, Ned Raggett highlighted the song's "subtle orchestrations" and "David Gahan's subtly impassioned performance" and also observed that "it's nowhere near as immediate or catchy as 'Never Let Me Down Again' or 'Behind the Wheel'." [6]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Little 15" Martin L. Gore 4:15
2."Stjärna"Gore4:28
12-inch and CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
3."Sonata No. 14 in C#m (Moonlight Sonata)" Ludwig van Beethoven 5:37

Charts

Chart performance for "Little 15"
Chart (1988)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [7] 25
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles) [8] 59
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [9] 18
UK Singles (OCC) [2] 60
UK Indie (OCC) [10] 4
West Germany (Official German Charts) [11] 16

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Depeche Mode</span> English electronic band

Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the lineup of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists of Gahan and Gore.

<i>Black Celebration</i> 1986 studio album by Depeche Mode

Black Celebration is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 17 March 1986 by Mute Records. Daniel Miller devised "a plan to capture the essence of the dark works" that Martin Gore created because Martin Gore had no intention of compromising the mood that his demos had set. With the release of the album, Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones presented Black Celebration, which they produced, to be more like an environment rather than a collection of songs. Their production created "a tech-noir future dystopia" that "glitters of gloom".

<i>Some Great Reward</i> 1984 studio album by Depeche Mode

Some Great Reward is the fourth studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 24 September 1984 by Mute Records. The album peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 51 in the United States, and was supported by the Some Great Reward Tour. This also saw the band using samplers, much like they did in their previous studio album Construction Time Again (1983), which they would continue to use in their following studio albums Black Celebration (1986) and Music for the Masses (1987).

<i>Music for the Masses</i> 1987 studio album by Depeche Mode

Music for the Masses is the sixth studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 28 September 1987 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the Music for the Masses Tour, which launched their fame in the US when they performed at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The tour led to the creation and filming of the documentary/live album titled 101. This saw the band using heavy amounts of sampling, much like they did in their previous studio album Black Celebration (1986).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stripped (song)</span> 1986 song by Depeche Mode

"Stripped" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Black Celebration (1986) on 10 February 1986, through Mute Records. Written by the band's lead songwriter Martin Gore, "Stripped" introduces the more dark and sample oriented composition that featured on the Black Celebration album. It incorporates various samples into its instrumental; most notably, the sound of an idling motorcycle engine was recorded, altered slightly, and inserted as a percussive element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything Counts</span> 1983 single by Depeche Mode

"Everything Counts" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their third studio album, Construction Time Again (1983). A live version of the song was released in 1989 to support the band's live album 101. The original single reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, whereas the live version reached No. 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Meaning of Love</span> 1982 single by Depeche Mode

"The Meaning of Love" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their second studio album, A Broken Frame (1982). It was released on 26 April 1982 as the album's second single. It reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get the Balance Right!</span> 1983 single by Depeche Mode

"Get the Balance Right!" is the seventh single by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 31 January 1983. Recorded at Blackwing Studios in December 1982, it is the first Depeche Mode single with Alan Wilder as an official band member; Wilder also co-wrote the B-side track "The Great Outdoors!" with Martin Gore. It is also one of the first Depeche Mode songs to feature guitar; according to Andy Fletcher, the guitar was processed through a synth and phased out of time to make it sound more interesting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody</span> 1984 single by Depeche Mode

"Blasphemous Rumours" / "Somebody" is a single by English electronic band Depeche Mode. It was released on 29 October 1984, as their twelfth UK single and first double A-side single. Both A-side songs are from the album Some Great Reward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Question of Lust</span> 1986 single by Depeche Mode

"A Question of Lust" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their fifth studio album, Black Celebration (1986). It was released on 14 April 1986 as the album's second single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strangelove (song)</span> 1987 single by Depeche Mode

"Strangelove" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 27 April 1987 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Let Me Down Again</span> 1987 single by Depeche Mode

"Never Let Me Down Again" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the second single from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987), on 24 August 1987. It reached No. 22 in the UK, No. 2 in West Germany, and the top-10 in several other European countries such as Sweden and Switzerland, topping the Danish charts. In the US, it entered the Billboard Hot 100. The cover art features fragments of a Soviet map of Russia and Europe, with different fragments used for the different editions of the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behind the Wheel</span> 1987 single by Depeche Mode

"Behind the Wheel" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). It was released on 28 December 1987 as the album's third single, reaching number 21 in the United Kingdom, number six in both Switzerland and West Germany, also entering the US Billboard Hot 100 as its predecessors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enjoy the Silence</span> 1990 single by Depeche Mode

"Enjoy the Silence" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990), on 5 February 1990. The single is certified Gold in the US and Germany. The song won Best British Single at the Brit Awards 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking in My Shoes</span> 1993 single by Depeche Mode

"Walking in My Shoes" is a song by British electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released on 26 April 1993 by Mute and Sire as the second single from their eighth studio album, Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993). The song reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and matched the success of the previous single "I Feel You" on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, where it reached one. The B-side is "My Joy", the only exclusive B-side from the Songs of Faith and Devotion album, and is a rock track in the vein of "I Feel You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's No Good</span> 1997 single by Depeche Mode

"It's No Good" a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 31 March 1997 as the second single from their ninth studio album, Ultra (1997). It was commercially successful, reaching number one in Denmark, Spain, Sweden and on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. It entered the top 10 in Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Feel Loved</span> 2001 single by Depeche Mode

"I Feel Loved" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 30 July 2001 as the second single from the band's tenth studio album, Exciter (2001). In 2002, the song was nominated for two Grammy Awards: one for Best Dance Recording and another for the Danny Tenaglia remix for Best Remixed Recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freelove</span> 2001 single by Depeche Mode

"Freelove" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 5 November 2001 as the third single from the band's tenth studio album, Exciter (2001). "Freelove" reached No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart. The single version, which was produced by Flood, is different than the album version, with a shorter running time and an additional drum track. The B-side is an instrumental called "Zenstation". There is also a DVD release of "Freelove", a first for Depeche Mode. It contains video footage of "Freelove" from the Philadelphia concert in 2001, audio of other songs performed at the concert, and four bonus 30-second videos of the band. The videos were directed by Anton Corbijn.

<i>For the Masses</i> 1998 tribute album

For the Masses is a 1998 tribute album to the British band Depeche Mode, specifically the works of Martin Gore. The album charted in America and reached the Top 20 in Germany, making it the most successful Depeche Mode tribute album of all time. The album title is taken from Depeche Mode's 1987 album Music for the Masses. The album cover was photographed by Martyn Atkins who shot and designed early Depeche Mode artwork; the whole album artwork is consistent with the past Depeche Mode albums.

<i>The Videos 86–98</i> 1998 video by Depeche Mode

The Videos 86>98 is a music video compilation by Depeche Mode, featuring almost two dozen music videos directed by a variety of directors, released in 1998. It coincides with The Singles 86>98.

References

  1. "Little 15". depechemode.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  3. "Depeche Mode Little 15" . Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  4. Miller, Jonathan (2004). Stripped: A True Story of Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. pp. 257–258. ISBN   1-84449-415-2.
  5. "Martyn Atkins". IMDb . Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  6. AllMusic review
  7. "Depeche Mode – Little 15" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  8. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 5, no. 24. 11 June 1988. p. 23. OCLC   29800226 via World Radio History.
  9. "Depeche Mode – Little 15". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  10. "Top Indie Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 11 June 1988. p. 22. ISSN   0265-1548 via World Radio History.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Little 15" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 May 2022.